Captive-ball apparatus.



No. 708,573. Patented Sept. 9, |9021.

- vE. H. MILES. CAPTIVE BALL APPARATUS.

(Application me@ Mar. 26, 1900.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet I.

No.`708,573. Patented Sept. 9, |902.

' E. H. MILES. Y

CAPTIVE BALL APPARATUS.

(Application led Mar. 28, 1900.) (No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT CEEICE,

EUSTACE I-I. MILES, OF CAMBRIDGE, ENGLAND.

CAPTlVE-BALL APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent N o. 708,573, dated September 9, 1902.

Application filed March 26, 1900. Serial No. 10,260. (No model T0 @ZZ 1.0710711/ .'1" may concern:

Be it known that I, EUSTACE HAMILTON MILES, of No. 5 St. Pauls road, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Captivellall Apparatus for Physical Exercise; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertainsto make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in captive-ball apparatus for practicing football, tennis, cricket, and like games, applicable also for physical'exercise.

The object of the invention is to provide a means whereby a` person can practice the various strokes, hits, kicks, and the like as actually used in the real game and also various physical eXercises-such as kicking, punching, and heading (that is, stopping a ball in motion with the head)-from which by skilful movements the ball may be caused to rebound in any direction desired, such as is done in foot-ball.

I am aware that various captive-ball devices having the same or similar objects in view are already known; but they all possess in a greater or less degree the disadvantages of not affording or not simulating closely enough the actual conditions and experiences met with in the real game -or exercise, as the case may be, and therefore do not fulfil the requirements of such apparatus for sound practice. ball, not one of the identical balls used in the actual game, and the ball is invariably fixed either firmly or loosely to some attachment on the suspending-cords, such as a ring orhook,or fixed to a helical wire coil or pivoted rod,so that it (the ball) cannot turn freelyin every direction,as it can in the actual game. A special bat, racket, or other implement is provided to take the place of the bat, racket, &c., used in the game itself, and, moreover, the ball has hitherto been suspended or supported by cords which have been stretched vertically between two fixed points only, and finally means for adjusting the tension of the cords with facility and at will have been provided, so that the conditions in all these respects are different to those met with in the real game.

They are provided with a special' It has been my aim to construct an apparatus for practice which shall full all the conditions and afford the experiences of the acltual game as nearly as possible.

In my apparatus which I am about to describe the actual ball and (where required by the game) the bat, racket, or other implemeut of the game or exercise are employed. The ball is free to move and to turn in all directions, and the cords by which it is suspended or held captive are rendered adjustable at will to any desired height or tension and also to any desired angle including the vertical or horizontal, so that the ball can be moved and made to approach at any angle desired, or at all events sufficiently to meet all practical requirements.

I will no w proceed to describe the invention in detail with the aid of the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 represents in elevation the apparatus suspended between two horizontal supports, showing how the suspension-lines may be stretched either vertical or at some other angle tothe horizontal plane. Fig.2represents the apparatus suspended between two vertical supports, showing how the height of the ball from the ground, as well as the angle of the suspension-lines, may be varied at will.

According to my invention the ball a,which, as above stated, is one of the actual ones, such as used in the game itself, is inclosed in a pocket or bag b, made, preferably, of net-- ting or similar open-Work'material. This pocket is so made that the ball may be easily placed in, secured in, and taken lout again when desired. To enable this, the bag is or may be provided with a draw -up mouth closed by meansof a string, tape, or the like c, or it may be furnished with any suitable fastening or clasp easily .opened by hand, but which when closed will hold the ball securely and will not damage the bat, racket, or other implement or instrument used. This pocket may be composed of a non-elastic material, such as string or twine; but it is not essential that it should be composed of nonelastic material. It may be composed wholly or partly of elastic material-such, for eX- ample, as indiarubber, cords, or strands. The ball fits the net pocket looselythat is, easily-but is not connected to it in any way,

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so that it is free to turn in all directions. Attached by one end to the said pocket at two opposite points are two cords or strands (l d, made of some suitable elastic material, such as india-rubber, or elastic contrivance, such as closely-coiled helical springs, the other ends of which are attached to one end ot' cords e e, advantageously made of cords or strands of some suitable non-elastic or non stretchable material-such as string, leather, wire, cord, or the like-and the free ends of these latter cords are, when the apparatus is erected for use, passed through any opposite pair of hooks, such as h h', rings, or cleats secured in one or more rows at intervals in any suitable vertical or horizontal supports-such, for instance, as the ceiling and floor or two side wallsor in lieu thereof a special frame-say of stout wood or metal t ube-m ay'be provided to su pport these hooks, rings, or cleats, and over one or more pulleys, such as shown at ff', and inally the ends are secured one adjustably in a cleat or clamp or other adjustable fastening device, such as shown at g, and the'other adjustably to a ring, hook, or other holder, such as shown at t', fixed in the Walls, ceiling, floor, post, or any other suitable support. The number of hooks, rings, pulleys, and cleats or clamps or other adjustable fastening device employed will depend entirely upon the number of different heights and angles and the number of balls needed. v

From the above description it will be understood that a ball such as is used in the actual game is placed in a net or open-Work pocket, such as b, which is held captive and suspended by two or more elastic (considering them as a whole) cords or strands stretched ont laterally in opposite directions, the extremities being held in or attached to an adjustable clamp or holding device fixed to the walls of a room or a special frame, the said cords passing through hooks or rings and over pulleys, so that they may be drawn taut or to any degree of tension by means of the adjustable cleat, clamp, or fastening device at will. Thus by the arrangement of several hooks or rings secured in some frame or fixture surrounding the apparatus the suspending-cords can be attached to any pair of these hooks opposite each other directly,diagonally, or at any angle to either -plane of projection in addition to the usual vertical position to which these apparat-uses have hitherto been confined.

Twoor more apparatuses could be used together as an exercise in variety and change, as they could be adj usted to different heights and angles and degrees of tension, so that the balls can be approached at any angles and caused to rebound after being hit or kicked at any pace practically required.

I claimel A combination consisting of an open-work net bag adapted to hold an'ordinary playingball movable therein, two elastic suspensioncords secured to opposite ends of the net- Work bag and rows of hooks adapted to secure the outward ends of the suspension-cords in' such a Way that the ball may be placed at any desired height from the ground and the suspension-cords inclined at any desired angle. In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

EUSTACE H. MILES. Witnesses:

CRUL BAMIL, B. H. DWIGHT. 

